Tax Day Becomes Tea Party Day

April 15 in The United States is a day many have come to dread. To most of us it is known as tax day but prior to the income tax, April 15 had another meaning in our countries history. April 15, 1865 was the day that President Lincoln was tragically assassinated.

Since the implementation of the income tax, April 15 has come to mean panic, late nights, and a night when some post offices have even stayed open until midnight. Panic because most of us want to delay the pain of paying taxes and spend late nights doing our taxes because we have procrastinated. With the introduction of e filing, the post offices no longer stay open until midnight but I personally remember dropping off my taxes at the post office just prior to midnight on April 15 because I was among the procrastinators. .

However, April 15, 2009 will be a tax day many will never forget. It is the time when tax day became tea party day. Ever since the inauguration of President Obama, republicans and many democrats have been shocked by the out of control spending of their government. These people are not crazy or dangerous. No, they are ordinary people who get up early every morning and come home late at night in order to provide for themselves and their families. They work hard for their money and understand the importance of living within their means. They also understand that when you borrow money it eventually has to be paid back.

What has these individuals in shock is the fact that with the level of debt being incurred by our government, they know that not only they, but also their children and grandchildren will be called upon to repay the debt. By attending the tea parties they were sending a message to their government. They are telling their senators, representatives and President Obama to stop the insanity. If these elected officials do not stop, they will join the growing numbers of unemployed people after the next election.

The tea parties were just the beginning. The participants in the tea parties now need to become proactive. They need to keep pressure on lawmakers and the president by communicating their concerns. If these concerns continue to be ignored, they will support candidates who share their concerns and kick the bums out of office.

The battle lines have been drawn. It will not be easy but it is time to fight this political battle. The future of our country is now in our hands. We are the voters and we have the ball. Now is not the time to fumble the ball but now is the time to go for the end zone and end this insanity.

Next week, how did our tax code become so corrupt?